We rest here while we can,
but we hear the ocean calling in our dreams,
And we know by the morning,
the wind will fill our sails to test the seams,
The calm is on the water
and part of us would linger by the shore,
For ships are safe in harbor,
but that’s not what ships are for.
No one can predict
to what heights you can soar.
Even you will not know
until you spread your wings.
Only those who will risk going too far
can possibly find out how far one can go.
Every oak tree started out as a nut
who decided to stand its ground.
A journey of a thousand miles
must begin with a single step.
Whatever you can do
or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius,
power, and magic in it.
To accomplish great things,
we must not only act, but also dream;
not only plan, but also believe.
Go as far as you can see,
and when you get there,
you will see farther.
You can’t leap a twenty-foot chasm
in two ten-foot jumps.
Twenty years from now
you will be more disappointed
by the things that you didn’t do
than by the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.
The person who is waiting
for something to turn up
might start with their shirt sleeves.
The policy of being too cautious
is the greatest risk of all.
Progress always involves risk;
you can’t steal second base
and keep your foot on first base.
Life is like a dogsled team.
If you ain’t the lead dog,
the scenery never changes.
Behold the turtle.
He makes progress
only when he sticks his neck out.
Most of the important things in the world
have been accomplished
by people who have kept on trying
when there seemed to be no hope at all.
Those who say it can’t be done
are usually interrupted by others doing it.
Life is too short to be small.
The man who insists upon seeing
with perfect clearness before he decides,
never decides.
Obstacles are those frightful things you see
when you take your eyes off the goal.
The best helping hand t
hat you will ever receive
is the one at the end of your own arm.
Destiny is not a matter of chance,
it is a matter of choice.
It is not a thing to be waited for,
it is a thing to be achieved.
The beginning
is the most important part of the work.
Stride forward with a firm, steady step,
knowing with a deep, certain inner knowing
that you will reach every goal you set yourselves,
that you will attain every aim.
Jump into the middle of things
get your hands dirty,
fall flat on your face,
and then reach for the stars.
When you reach for the stars,
you may not quite get one,
but you won’t come up
with a handful of mud either.
Shoot for the moon.
Even if you miss
you’ll end up in the stars.
Obstacles are like wild animals.
They are cowards
but they will bluff you if they can.
If they see you are afraid of them…
they are liable to spring upon you;
but if you look them squarely in the eye,
they will slink out of sight.
Freedom is not something
that anybody can be given,
freedom is something people take.
Many risks fail because they were not taken in time.
Too many risks are postponed
until unnecessarily elaborate preparations are made.
This does not mean that one should say,
“Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”
That is foolish and self-destructive….
But don’t sit back waiting for the perfect moment.
It almost never comes.
Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp,
or what’s a heaven for?
He only earns his freedom and his life,
who takes them every day by storm.
If we all did the things we are capable of doing,
we would literally astound ourselves.
Most of the important things in the world
have been accomplished by people
who have kept on trying
when there seemed to be no hope at all.
Nothing in this world
can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common
than unsuccessful people with talent.
Genius will not;
unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not;
the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination
alone are omnipotent.
The slogan “press on” has solved
and always will solve
the problems of the human race.
Take the first step in faith.
You don’t have to see the whole staircase,
just take the first step.
Many a false step was made by standing still.